14 February, 2017

Russian military inspectors to verify military activity in Turkey

A
group of Russian inspectors will visit a designated location in
Turkey under the Vienna Document to verify the information about the
military activity in the area, Russia Defense Ministry said on
Monday.

"Within
the framework of the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence and
Security-Building Measures, a Russian group of inspectors will assess
a designated area in Turkey on Feb. 13-16," a statement
published on the ministry's website said.

According
to the statement, the inspection's goal is to confirm whether any
military activity was carried out in the area or not, and to
establish its scale. The designated area's size is approximately
18,000 square kilometers.

The
Russian inspectors would visit training facilities and weapons
ranges, and attend the briefings of commanders in the military bases
of the Turkish Armed Forces.

The
Vienna Document aims to reinforce the security measures in Europe and
envisage the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
member states, providing each other with information about their
armed forces, defense planning and military budget details, as well
as exchanging military observers and carrying out inspections.